Starry Nights With Her
by Jane L. Black
Summary: "Okay." She whispered against his lips. He smiled. She smiled back. "Okay."


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters.**

**I've been challenged to write this by _QueenOfHearbreak_ and she was challenged to beta it. I wrote it, she named it. We're an awesome team.**

**BTW I love the books, but this was mostly based on the movies.**

* * *

**Starry Nights With Her**

He watched as she stormed off the Great Hall, the tears running down her cheeks and a furious glint in her eyes. Controlling his urge to punch his little brother, his eyes went back to the homework in front of him.

How could Ron be so insensitive? Hermione was a beautiful and smart girl, but he only noticed that whenever he needed her. _"Hermione, you're a girl!" _The anger ran through Fred's veins, poisoning his thoughts. His mind told him to pull out his wand and curse his brother until he was inside out, but he knew, deep down, that he had no reason to do so.

He and Hermione meant nothing to each other. She was just his little brother's best friend. He should see her as he saw Ginny, but somehow his heart disagreed.

Sometimes, when no one was noticing, he would watch how her warm brown eyes shone with happiness when reading a new book, or how her lips twitched upwards when there was kidney pie at dinner, or how her young body had started to shift under the baggy robes. No one noticed how his heart throbbed with jealousy whenever she softly touched Harry's hand or when she beamed at Ron after he successfully performed a spell they had been working on.

A hand squeezed his shoulder and he turned to see his twin brother give him an understanding look.

He was wrong. Of course, George noticed.

* * *

She looked so beautiful in her pink dress, with her hair pulled up and soft makeup on her face. Ginny had done an amazing job dressing her up. He spent the night watching her, wishing to be in Krum's place.

Angelina laughed at him and pulled him to dance. He went, trying to get his mind off his little brother's best friend. He jumped around and sang till his throat was sore. He was even lucky enough to get more than one kiss from his hot date, but his eyes kept flickering to the young girl that never left his thoughts. Was it creepy for a sixteen-year-old to ogle a girl two years his junior? He shook this idea away. Hermione was fifteen.

Krum didn't seem to mind the age difference as he kept pulling her closer. Stupid, famous Quidditch player who couldn't even pronounce her name. He really couldn't stand the guy.

His mood grew fouler every time he watched them laugh and eventually, he excused himself, claiming that he needed to rest. So, he took a seat at one of the more secluded tables, resuming his new favourite hobby; watching Hermione.

"You should just ask her to dance," a voice said next to him, making him jump.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he argued ignoring Angelina's analysing glance. Maybe, if he pretended she wasn't there, she would leave.

"Granger. You've been staring at her all night." Hearing her name, his eyes immediately went to her. She was walking towards her best friends, a big smile on her face and her cheeks tainted red. "You know, she looks at you too." That got his attention, making his head snap in her direction, but Angelina was already walking towards his twin brother, who gave him thumbs up.

_What the bloody hell had she meant by that?_ Hermione looked at him, too? Well, it wasn't that hard. He and George were always wreaking havoc, causing people to look at them.

Deciding the night was over, he got up, leaving the Great Hall and the party behind. He took notice of the Golden Trio's absence but didn't make much of it. They probably decided to go back to bed.

However, when he got out the door, he watched first-hand the explosive argument between Hermione and Ron. Harry was a few steps away, obviously bothered by their attitude and trying to pretend he didn't exist.

Finally, Hermione stormed off and Ron and Harry left, leaving him dumbfounded at the bottom of the stairs. None of them had noticed his presence and he was grateful for it. He might have started screaming at his brother for the way he was treating his friend.

Not wanting to go back to the dorms and finding them fighting again, he opted to take a stroll through the empty castle. He passed a few couples along the way, trying to ignore his heart screaming its desire to be one of them.

Unknowingly, his feet took him to his favourite place in the castle; the astronomy tower. He still had a couple of hours until Filch started doing his rounds, so it was a great idea to just sit in the balcony, enjoying the night.

To his surprise, the space was already taken. The familiar shape immediately threw him off balance and his instinct told him to run, but a sniffle stopped him.

_She was crying._ She was wasting precious tears on that idiot. He wondered what she felt every time Ron mistreated her. Did she feel less smart? Did she feel less beautiful? Did she feel like she was not enough? The idea made the anger boil in his veins. He couldn't just leave her like that; alone and sad.

"You shouldn't cry because Ron is an idiot." Her head snapped up and she stared at him in shock. "I mean, it's not your fault that it took him four years to understand you're a girl."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Fred," she said, turning back to the view in front her.

"I'm not joking. Ron really is an idiot." He took a few steps in her direction and buried his hands in his trouser pockets. "How do you know?" She gave him a confused look. "How do you always know that I'm Fred? Not even my mother knows."

"Oh." Hermione shrugged like it was no big deal. "You have more freckles and your eyes are a little bluer than George's. And your voice has this mean tone to it."

"You think I'm mean?" He asked feeling himself deflate.

She let out a small chuckle. "I think you have a wicked mind and that shows."

"How is that better?" Hermione sighed and patted on place next her. Taking his chance, he sat down.

"Wicked isn't always bad. You're one of the smartest people I know, Fred. I do believe you are going somewhere if you want to." He couldn't hold back a smile and neither could she. "Hey, you could open a joke shop, like Zonko's!"

He scratched the back of head. "Actually, that is the plan. We just need some money to get it off the paper."

"That's great! I'm so happy for you." He noticed how the air had shifted between them due to the change of conversation. Her eyes were still bright due to the tears, but her smile was honest, and he could help but to think about Angelina's words.

"What about you? What do you wanna do when you leave school?"

"I don't know." She answered. "I might travel the world, leave it all behind." Her eyes closed as she enjoyed the cold breeze of the night. He should be a gentleman and offer his coat, but he was too mesmerized by her pink lips to do it so. "I can also go work at your shop. I bet it would be an adventure."

That made him laugh. "Can you imagine McGonagall's face? Her favourite student behind a counter working for - imagine that - the terrible Weasley twins!" She started laughing, leaning against him. He almost choked when he felt her head rest against his shoulder but managed to compose himself before she noticed his embarrassment. Their laughter subsided and they eventually settled in a comfortable silence, looking down at the Hogwarts grounds.

Never, in a million years, could he have dared to imagine himself in this situation. In his mind, Hermione had always been untouchable. The one he would always long for but never be worthy of. Especially because he knew she deserved much more than a stupid Weasley. Including his brother. "I think you'll be Minister of Magic someday." He blurted out. His confession made her head snap up. "I really do think that. I believe that someday you and that brain of yours will change our world somehow."

"I-" Her brown eyes stared into his soul, trying to find the answers, trying to understand. If it was someone else, he would have looked away, not interested in sharing his deepest secrets. However, this was Hermione and he would put up a tango show in his underwear for Voldemort if she asked him too. After what if fell like a lifetime, her eyes shone with understanding and she leaned forward, pressing their lips together.

For a moment, Fred panicked, thinking he had fallen off of the tower and that he was experiencing an after-life moment. Then, he shakily touched her bare shoulders and started to move his lips against hers. When her hands rested on his chest, he finally realised that this was real. Hermione Granger, the girl he had been dreaming about for months, was kissing him.

Before he could fully enjoy the moment, she pulled back and dropped her head, blushing. "Sorry."

"What?" he asked completely dumbfounded.

"For kissing you." He kept staring at her, obviously making her uncomfortable, but afraid that if he looked away, she would vanish. "I mean, you are older and must have kissed other girls. Being my first kiss must not..."

_Wait. What?_ She kept rambling, but he wasn't listening. He was her first kiss. Between all of the guys around her, she chose him. Not Ron, not even Harry bloody Potter. Hermione Granger chose him. Fred Weasley A smile grew on his lips and he was dying to jump around, but he had better things to do. Not caring about Hermione's growing embarrassment, he pushed her against him and crushed their lips together.

He felt her hands press his chest and he pulled back. _Oh no._ Had he scared her? "What are you doing?" she asked, confused.

"Practice makes perfect, Granger," he explained, smirking. But he didn't move, waiting for her to give him her approval. The wheels turning in her head were loud, but he could pinpoint the exact moment she made a decision.

"Well, I am a fan of perfection."

* * *

He twitched nervously as the hour went by and trying to understand what was on Dumbledore's mind when he decided to put Hermione asleep somewhere in those freezing waters. Krum didn't need her to live, he did!

It wasn't Krum who spent the night of the Yule Ball kissing her in the Astronomy Tower. It wasn't Krum who stole her a kiss on New Year's Eve before she got to her dorm room - _How the hell did you get up here, Fred Weasley?_ \- or when she was running late for class on Tuesday morning. It wasn't Krum that went to the library and convinced her to have a make out session in a hidden corner behind a bookcase. It wasn't Krum who was with her late at night when she poured her worries out about the Tournament. It wasn't Krum that made her laugh when she was down.

It was him. Fred Weasley.

But somehow, Krum got to be the hero and he was the idiot that was standing on the platform waiting for him to arrive with his girl. That though made him stop. _His girl?_Was she? However, two heads erupted from the water and George called him over.

She was shivering and looking around scared. "Fred?" As soon as her eyes landed on him, he became unsure of what to do. They weren't official. He had just been debating if she was his girl or not a few seconds ago! But all it took was for her to call him and he bolted in her direction. Someone had placed a towel on her shoulders and Krum was rubbing over it to help warm her up, but as soon as he got there, Hermione fell into Fred's arms.

"Who iz diz?" Krum asked, looking over at him.

"I'm Fred. Who are you?" George snickered behind him. Taking joy in Krum's annoyed face, he pulled Hermione closer to him.

"Do-don't be ru-rude," she stuttered. Fred opted to not answer her and looked back at the lake.

"They are taking too long," George said also staring at the water, "The time is almost up."

"Dumbledore doesn't seem worried," he said, taking notice of the headmaster's calm expression, "Harry survived you-know-who. He can survive a bit of water." He looked back to the girl on his arms. "Are you okay?" She nodded against his chest and he couldn't hold back a smile.

Suddenly a loud cheer erupted from the crowd as Harry, Ron and a little blonde girl came to the surface. Hermione gave him an apologetic look and ran back to her friends.

He watched offered Harry her towel and rubbed his shoulders. He tried to ignore the pain his chest, but the doubt was there. She had made it clear she wasn't interested in going public with their _thing_. She claimed that that it would cause a riot if they suddenly decided to become affectionate with each when everyone thought that they couldn't stand each other. So, her plan was to have people see them getting closer and maybe - _maybe_ \- one day they would be able to be in some kind of relationship.

It sucked. He just wanted to be able to snuggle with her in front of the fireplace in the common room. Deep down, he knew she wasn't sure she could trust him and was aware that it would take time for her to understand that he was in it for real. But patience had never been his strongest suit.

* * *

_Voldemort was back. Cedric was dead. Voldemort was back. Cedric was dead. Voldemort was back. Cedric was dead. __Voldemort was back. Cedric was dead. __Voldemort was back. _

That were the only thoughts on his mind. The worst had happened, and he knew that he was right in the middle of the storm. Ron would never leave Harry's side and the all Weasleys would back him up. And there was also Hermione.

They had a huge fight a few days before the final task. Despite being totally up for sneaking around, he had grown tired of hiding. He wanted to people to know Hermione was his. Every time he saw her, the only thing he could think of was kissing her until they were both out of breath. But he had to resign himself to watching her from afar and stolen kissed during many late-night rendezvous.

He noticed how she had searched from him in the crowd while Mr Diggory wept for his son; how her eyes longed for comfort; how she needed him. But he was decided to not give in to her whims. A few months ago, he would've done everything she asked him to. However, as they spent more time together, he grew more comfortable fighting her, treating her as an equal instead of a fragile doll.

"I knew I would find you here." The voice of his dreams pulled him away from his thoughts and her turned to find her at the entrance of the Astronomy Tower.

After Dumbledore's speech, he quickly made his way there, knowing that it was last place anyone would look for him. Only George and Hermione knew this was his favourite place to hide as he found the view of the grounds soothing.

When he didn't answer, she walked towards him, but didn't sit. He waited for her to make the first move still lingering to his stubbornness.

"I'm sorry," she admitted after a while, "I should have paid more attention to your feelings. I was being selfish." He looked up and searched her eyes.

It was their thing. They let their eyes show what was going on in their souls instead of wasting empty words.

Confirming the honesty in her apology, he patted the floor next to him, inviting her to join him.

"This is where we first kissed," he recalled fondly.

"Technically, I kissed you," she corrected.

He rolled his eyes. "I was being a gentleman."

She giggled and placed her head on his shoulder. They stayed silent for a while, just enjoying each other's company. But the same thought kept running through his mind and eventually made its way to his mouth.

"He's back."

"Yup." That was the only answer.

"He's going after Harry."

"Yup." _Obviously._

"You're going to stay by his side till the end of the line." It wasn't a question. Over the last months, he had come to understand that Harry was the brother she never had. "I'm going to fight too." Her head left his shoulder and she opened her mouth, but he interrupted her before she could argue. "Not for you. At least not only for you. Harry is my family too. Also, I know that you-know-who is going to do awful things and I might not agree with him." He sighed. "Look Hermione, we might die and I don't- I'm not saying that I love you. At least not yet. But I care for you and I want to be by your side in this war."

She pondered on his words for a moment, before holding his hands. "I'm not sure I'm ready for a boyfriend right now."

"We don't have to label it. We can just," he struggled to find the right word, "_be_."

She smiled. "Just be."

"Yeah. I'm Fred, you're Hermione and we make each other happy. We don't know what the future holds and if I die -_ I said if_ -, I won't to go with the regret of not taking a chance on us."

After what it felt like a lifetime - during which he considered jumping off the tower to spare himself from the pain of rejection - she moved forward and pressed her lips to his.

Just like that. No movement, no tongues, no passion. Just pure and simple. _Just so Hermione._

"Okay." She whispered against his lips.

He smiled. She smiled back.

"Okay."

* * *

**Hey there my sweet Potterheads!**

**I missed you guys so much! I've dying to wrote a Fremione for a while and thank Merlin **_QueenOfHeartbreak_** challenged me to it!**

**I wrote this in two days and she immediatly beta'd it. I think it's when of my best works so far. I thought about making it a multichapter, doing a chapter for each year they had left, but I'm not making any promises. **

**Anyway, I hope you love it.**

**Happy 2020 everyone.**

**Love,**

_Jane_


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